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Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
A missing maid. A murder most foul. A highly imprudent adventure. Only her fine eyes can uncover the truth.
Two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Miss Caroline Bingley is staying at her brother's country estate within an easy ride of Mr and Mrs Darcy's home, Pemberley, and wondering if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbours. So when Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani, vanishes - and worse, Georgiana disappears in search of her - Caroline races to London to find them both, and quickly discovers a shocking, cold-blooded murder.
Soon Caroline and Georgiana are careering through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, and demanding answers of shady characters, police magistrates and mysterious East India Company-men to discover the killer. Along the way they uncover the cost of Empire on India and its people ... and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation. As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve - even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy.
Two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Miss Caroline Bingley is staying at her brother's country estate within an easy ride of Mr and Mrs Darcy's home, Pemberley, and wondering if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbours. So when Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani, vanishes - and worse, Georgiana disappears in search of her - Caroline races to London to find them both, and quickly discovers a shocking, cold-blooded murder.
Soon Caroline and Georgiana are careering through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, and demanding answers of shady characters, police magistrates and mysterious East India Company-men to discover the killer. Along the way they uncover the cost of Empire on India and its people ... and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation. As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve - even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2025
94 people are currently reading
5832 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Gardiner
17 books115 followersKelly Gardiner's new book is Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective (HarperCollins), co-written with Sharmini Kumar. Her most recent novels for young readers include a time slip adventure trilogy called 'The Firewatcher Chronicles': 'Brimstone', 'Phoenix', and 'Vigil'; and '1917: Australia's Great War', set in Flanders and in Melbourne during the First World War (all published by Scholastic).
Her novel 'Goddess' (HarperCollins) was based on the life of the remarkable Julie d'Aubigny, also known as Mademoiselle de Maupin - a 17th century opera singer and swordswoman.
Kelly's other books include the acclaimed young adult novels 'The Sultan's Eyes' and 'Act of Faith' (HarperCollins); and for younger readers, 'Billabong Bill's Bushfire Christmas' (Random House), and the ‘Swashbuckler!’ trilogy (HarperCollins): 'Ocean Without End', 'The Pirate's Revenge' and 'The Silver Swan'.
Kelly taught creative writing at La Trobe University for many years and now runs writing retreats and masterclasses. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
Her novel 'Goddess' (HarperCollins) was based on the life of the remarkable Julie d'Aubigny, also known as Mademoiselle de Maupin - a 17th century opera singer and swordswoman.
Kelly's other books include the acclaimed young adult novels 'The Sultan's Eyes' and 'Act of Faith' (HarperCollins); and for younger readers, 'Billabong Bill's Bushfire Christmas' (Random House), and the ‘Swashbuckler!’ trilogy (HarperCollins): 'Ocean Without End', 'The Pirate's Revenge' and 'The Silver Swan'.
Kelly taught creative writing at La Trobe University for many years and now runs writing retreats and masterclasses. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
April 7, 2025
Content warnings: murder, racism, death of a sibling, death of a parent (in the past), grooming (in the past), violence
Oh, I LOVED this. It gave me Phryne Fisher but 100+ years earlier, and I could absolutely see a younger Anna Chancellor reprising her role as Miss Bingley for an adaptation of this. I'm trash for an Austen inspired story, and I'm also trash for historical fiction that focuses on the diversity that was present in every freaking time period for all of human history.
As someone much smarter than me once said, Black people [and, indeed, all people of colour] didn't magically appear as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. They've always been there. It's just that their stories don't get told. And I loved that this weaves the yikes-worthy history of the East India Company into an Austen inspired Regency based murder mystery.
(In the interests of full disclosure, Sharmini is a close friend of mine. But I bought the book with my very own human dollars, and she did not ask me to say nice things about it.)
Oh, I LOVED this. It gave me Phryne Fisher but 100+ years earlier, and I could absolutely see a younger Anna Chancellor reprising her role as Miss Bingley for an adaptation of this. I'm trash for an Austen inspired story, and I'm also trash for historical fiction that focuses on the diversity that was present in every freaking time period for all of human history.
As someone much smarter than me once said, Black people [and, indeed, all people of colour] didn't magically appear as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. They've always been there. It's just that their stories don't get told. And I loved that this weaves the yikes-worthy history of the East India Company into an Austen inspired Regency based murder mystery.
(In the interests of full disclosure, Sharmini is a close friend of mine. But I bought the book with my very own human dollars, and she did not ask me to say nice things about it.)
April 12, 2025
A fun historical/cozy mystery which was a mash up of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. Always fun when you have references to Mr Darcy ❤️
This was a quick read , a missing maid, a murder and lots of secrets. Caroline and her friend Georgina are determined to solve the case, despite what the men say. It was a different time for women, and Caroline is certainly before her time. I can see this being. The start of a fun series.
3.5⭐️ thanks to HQ for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out in April 10th.
This was a quick read , a missing maid, a murder and lots of secrets. Caroline and her friend Georgina are determined to solve the case, despite what the men say. It was a different time for women, and Caroline is certainly before her time. I can see this being. The start of a fun series.
3.5⭐️ thanks to HQ for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out in April 10th.
May 18, 2025
Classic JA fan fiction. Perfect trashy read. Who doesn’t need a bit of Miss Caroline Bingley jn their world?
August 9, 2025
meh, didn't love the mystery as much as I thought I would. Loved the concept though.
April 26, 2025
What a fun book to read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I would say it is in the style of an Agatha Christie book which I have always enjoyed. It was fun to follow the journey of finding a missing maid, coming upon a murder and then trying to solve the murder and the mystery surrounding these events. All this wrapped up with a bit of Pride and Prejudice back drop makes for an interesting tale.
Miss Caroline Bingley and her best friend Georgiana Head (separately) to London from Pemberley and as you can imagine these two young single women of the times do things that raise eyebrows for sure. This story is fun, mysterious, intriguing and it was so easy to read. Entertaining and enjoyable and I look forward to seeing what might come next for this new Detective (of sorts).
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Kelly Gardiner
HarperCollins
Miss Caroline Bingley and her best friend Georgiana Head (separately) to London from Pemberley and as you can imagine these two young single women of the times do things that raise eyebrows for sure. This story is fun, mysterious, intriguing and it was so easy to read. Entertaining and enjoyable and I look forward to seeing what might come next for this new Detective (of sorts).
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Kelly Gardiner
HarperCollins
April 21, 2025
This book is set two years after the events of Pride and Prejudice.
Caroline Bingley is staying in Derbyshire with her brother, Charles, and his wife, Jane. Charles and Jane bought a house near to the Darcys. During her stay, Caroline became firm friends with Miss Georgina Darcy, Mr Darcy’s younger sister.
When Miss Darcy’s Indian maid, Jade, goes missing, Georgina goes in pursuit of her. She writes a note to Caroline asking for her friend’s discretion, but Miss Bingley is having none of it. She decides to follow Georgina to London in the search of the elusive maid.
The two women find Jade, real name Jayani, crying over her dead brother’s body. It is evident that someone brutally killed him. But who?
It appears that it’s up to Miss Bingley to investigate.
I am in two minds about this book.
I love Pride and Prejudice and I consider myself a true fan. I usually read the spin off stories and movie adaptations, and I was very excited to pick up a copy of this.
I felt that there was something missing in Miss Bingley’s character. I loved that she worked on herself, studied, and decided that she didn’t need a man to be happy. Thanks to her family’s money, she established her own home in London, and she could come and go as she pleased. She was a shrewd woman, unafraid to put herself out there to solve a crime. However, the ‘original’ Miss Bingley was a bit snappy and quick with her tongue, and I guess that I missed that.
I can’t fault the plot or the setting, I guess it was just my personal preference.
This book wasn’t for me, but it might be for you!
Caroline Bingley is staying in Derbyshire with her brother, Charles, and his wife, Jane. Charles and Jane bought a house near to the Darcys. During her stay, Caroline became firm friends with Miss Georgina Darcy, Mr Darcy’s younger sister.
When Miss Darcy’s Indian maid, Jade, goes missing, Georgina goes in pursuit of her. She writes a note to Caroline asking for her friend’s discretion, but Miss Bingley is having none of it. She decides to follow Georgina to London in the search of the elusive maid.
The two women find Jade, real name Jayani, crying over her dead brother’s body. It is evident that someone brutally killed him. But who?
It appears that it’s up to Miss Bingley to investigate.
I am in two minds about this book.
I love Pride and Prejudice and I consider myself a true fan. I usually read the spin off stories and movie adaptations, and I was very excited to pick up a copy of this.
I felt that there was something missing in Miss Bingley’s character. I loved that she worked on herself, studied, and decided that she didn’t need a man to be happy. Thanks to her family’s money, she established her own home in London, and she could come and go as she pleased. She was a shrewd woman, unafraid to put herself out there to solve a crime. However, the ‘original’ Miss Bingley was a bit snappy and quick with her tongue, and I guess that I missed that.
I can’t fault the plot or the setting, I guess it was just my personal preference.
This book wasn’t for me, but it might be for you!
May 12, 2025
A rollicking read, a highly imprudent adventure and an intricate mystery, featuring Miss Caroline Bingley, who is fabulously funny, clever and snarky.
May 21, 2025
I am always down for a Pride & Prejudice spinoff and honestly the trashier the better. This was really fun but loses a star because I guessed the murderer halfway through.
July 10, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kelly Gardiner; Sharmini Kumar for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator coming out July 8, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
These are new authors for me. I absolutely love everything Jane Austen, so I was excited to check it out. I’ve read several Pride and Prejudice murder mysteries. Caroline is definitely not a character I enjoy, but I did really enjoy her in this book. It made her seem more human. I enjoyed the mystery. I would be down if this was a series!
These are new authors for me. I absolutely love everything Jane Austen, so I was excited to check it out. I’ve read several Pride and Prejudice murder mysteries. Caroline is definitely not a character I enjoy, but I did really enjoy her in this book. It made her seem more human. I enjoyed the mystery. I would be down if this was a series!
April 11, 2025
As an avid P&P fan (books and BBC miniseries obviously), I had high hopes for this one. But I ended up feeling like it could have featured any regency woman and been the same book. It wasn't distinctly Caroline Bingley. And the mystery didn't feel all that mysterious! Maybe I was expecting the wrong thing, but this one didn't land for me.
May 6, 2025
A murder mystery set in the Pride and Prejudice universe featuring the minor characters from Jane Austen's novel, Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy. Expanding into the territory of a murder mystery & historical fiction, this book made for an interesting story but alas proven to be a standard & average mystery at its best. To be fair, I haven't read any Austen novels (i know how ludicrous 🥲) so I'm not familiar with Caroline & Georgiana whil I have heard about Mr Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet a lot. There were mentions of this couple as the story set two years after Pride & Prejudice where they have gotten married and this time, we are more focused on Caroline & her friendship with Georgiana Darcy
Georgiana unexpectedly went off to London in haste to pursue her fleeing young maid, Jade that she cared a lot. Caroline then moved quickly to trace her young friend with her servants traversing the harsh wintry journey. Once in London, they found Georgiana & after promising her to find Jade, Caroline was thrown into a murder case involving Jade's brother, with deceits, lies & tragedy. The story started well enough introducing us to the characters while at first focusing on the missing maid which led them to scavenging the underbelly of London, dark and dodgy places where they found out information of Jade's origin as an Indian then to Caroline discovering a gruesome scene of a bloody murder
The mystery was pretty straightforward with twists that I expected. I knew who the murderer is before the reveal. The pacing for me is slow with constant back and forth investigations that felt redundant at times but understandable since Caroline is no sleuth, she mainly investigate out of Georgiana's persistence but then ultimately due to her own curious nature. There are talks of women's role & expectations in society, the social status & class between the rich and the poor, of marriage talk and the desire to find someone as Caroline spoke of still wanting to marry but she prefers to enjoy her life as it is for now and I like these moments. But was put off by her lack of empathy or her attitude towards those different than her, she is more of a selfish person rather than a likeable one. She is fair enough but still has some cold air about her, intelligent but not emotionally fair to others. The ending was okay, there are reveals and twists but not shocking. For those who enjoyed Regency style murder mystery then you might like this
Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy
Georgiana unexpectedly went off to London in haste to pursue her fleeing young maid, Jade that she cared a lot. Caroline then moved quickly to trace her young friend with her servants traversing the harsh wintry journey. Once in London, they found Georgiana & after promising her to find Jade, Caroline was thrown into a murder case involving Jade's brother, with deceits, lies & tragedy. The story started well enough introducing us to the characters while at first focusing on the missing maid which led them to scavenging the underbelly of London, dark and dodgy places where they found out information of Jade's origin as an Indian then to Caroline discovering a gruesome scene of a bloody murder
The mystery was pretty straightforward with twists that I expected. I knew who the murderer is before the reveal. The pacing for me is slow with constant back and forth investigations that felt redundant at times but understandable since Caroline is no sleuth, she mainly investigate out of Georgiana's persistence but then ultimately due to her own curious nature. There are talks of women's role & expectations in society, the social status & class between the rich and the poor, of marriage talk and the desire to find someone as Caroline spoke of still wanting to marry but she prefers to enjoy her life as it is for now and I like these moments. But was put off by her lack of empathy or her attitude towards those different than her, she is more of a selfish person rather than a likeable one. She is fair enough but still has some cold air about her, intelligent but not emotionally fair to others. The ending was okay, there are reveals and twists but not shocking. For those who enjoyed Regency style murder mystery then you might like this
Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy
June 11, 2025
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator is a charming murder mystery novel investigated by our favorite Regency villain. This book is set a couple of years after Pride and Prejudice, focusing on Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy. This is an unusual P and P imagining, as Darcy and Elizabeth are referenced but never make an on paper appearance. The story focuses on Caroline, who has grown up a bit since her disappointment at Pemberly but who is still a snobby English Regency lady. Caroline comes to the aid of Georgiana and stumbles upon the murder of an Indian servant. Caroline, of course, thinks herself more capable than the riff raff and investigates.
The story was fun and provided enough suspects and details to let the reader create their own theory. I appreciated that Caroline stumbled a bit in her investigation and that she so steadfastly resisted attempts by men to interfere with what she wanted to do. There's also discussion of abolition and slavery of the era, expectations of marriage for wealthy women, and perception and treatment of India and Indian people during the colonial occupation. I think this was handled well and incorporated into the story.
The writing itself was good, and I sped through the chapters pretty quickly. The middle part of the book felt a little slow and tedious as Caroline gathered evidence, but the pace picked back up by the last third. The ending was not my favorite but likely more realistic.
It's the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of Jane Austen's birth this year, which means this is the perfect time for Austen world works. If this is a series, I would certainly read the next Caroline Bingley mystery.
Thank you, HarperVia, for the arc!
The story was fun and provided enough suspects and details to let the reader create their own theory. I appreciated that Caroline stumbled a bit in her investigation and that she so steadfastly resisted attempts by men to interfere with what she wanted to do. There's also discussion of abolition and slavery of the era, expectations of marriage for wealthy women, and perception and treatment of India and Indian people during the colonial occupation. I think this was handled well and incorporated into the story.
The writing itself was good, and I sped through the chapters pretty quickly. The middle part of the book felt a little slow and tedious as Caroline gathered evidence, but the pace picked back up by the last third. The ending was not my favorite but likely more realistic.
It's the semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of Jane Austen's birth this year, which means this is the perfect time for Austen world works. If this is a series, I would certainly read the next Caroline Bingley mystery.
Thank you, HarperVia, for the arc!
June 16, 2025
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My opinions are my own and are freely given.
Caroline Bingley has finally come to the conclusion that she does not need a man in her life and will be perfectly happy if she never marries (not that she is ruling it out altogether). I love this change in her character from Pride and Prejudice; the author has changed her goals in life but has not completely changed her. There is no focus on romance, and no male character comes up that immediately could be her main love interest in the series (although there is one possibility? maybe, she hasn't shown any interest and neither has he, so I don't know). So if so, be prepared for the slowest of the slow burns.
Not only is the mystery and plot amazing, but I absolutely love that the characters are starting to become aware of their own prejudices. For example, Georgiana gave her Indian maid a name, and later in the book, the women learn her real name. From that point on, the narrative changes what name she is called by, and the women change what they call her. While Caroline's thinking is quite a bit less progressive than Georgianna, both women have begun to think about it.
I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!
If you did too, please check out The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Grey. Amazing mystery series featuring Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's son, Jonathan
Caroline Bingley has finally come to the conclusion that she does not need a man in her life and will be perfectly happy if she never marries (not that she is ruling it out altogether). I love this change in her character from Pride and Prejudice; the author has changed her goals in life but has not completely changed her. There is no focus on romance, and no male character comes up that immediately could be her main love interest in the series (although there is one possibility? maybe, she hasn't shown any interest and neither has he, so I don't know). So if so, be prepared for the slowest of the slow burns.
Not only is the mystery and plot amazing, but I absolutely love that the characters are starting to become aware of their own prejudices. For example, Georgiana gave her Indian maid a name, and later in the book, the women learn her real name. From that point on, the narrative changes what name she is called by, and the women change what they call her. While Caroline's thinking is quite a bit less progressive than Georgianna, both women have begun to think about it.
I can't wait for the next book in this series!!!
If you did too, please check out The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Grey. Amazing mystery series featuring Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's son, Jonathan
July 7, 2025
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was vaguely intrigued by the idea of Caroline Bingley, resident mean girl of Pride and Prejudice, as a detective. Her nerve and perceptiveness certainly would be assets, but I really didn't know what to expect beyond that. This book did incredible things with that premise. Not only did I get an incredible reframing and growth of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy's characters, but it highlighted the insidous presence that the East India Company held in London well into the Regency and beyond. Yes, some of you may argue that we already knew that, but most pieces tend to focus on the 18th-century impact. Regency-set pieces rarely focus on the way India and Indians in Britain were treated; if we're lucky, they might focus on the abolition of slavery and the presence of Black Brits. This book definitely leaves itself open to being a series, so I am intrigued to see if we get more stories in the future. In the meantime, it proved itself a refreshing and delightful read. In Caroline's own words, "I am all astonishment!"
I was vaguely intrigued by the idea of Caroline Bingley, resident mean girl of Pride and Prejudice, as a detective. Her nerve and perceptiveness certainly would be assets, but I really didn't know what to expect beyond that. This book did incredible things with that premise. Not only did I get an incredible reframing and growth of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy's characters, but it highlighted the insidous presence that the East India Company held in London well into the Regency and beyond. Yes, some of you may argue that we already knew that, but most pieces tend to focus on the 18th-century impact. Regency-set pieces rarely focus on the way India and Indians in Britain were treated; if we're lucky, they might focus on the abolition of slavery and the presence of Black Brits. This book definitely leaves itself open to being a series, so I am intrigued to see if we get more stories in the future. In the meantime, it proved itself a refreshing and delightful read. In Caroline's own words, "I am all astonishment!"
June 20, 2025
An interesting crime novel featuring some of the Pride and prejudice characters. Pacy, tense (at times violent) and with snowy London a key character. This shows Caroline Bingley taking action. I am hoping for a sequel.
Read
September 2, 2025Caroline seems to have gone through some epic character development or had a personality transplant before this book starts. I wanted the mean and snarky Caroline from Pride and Prejudice and I wanted to see her character development. DNF.
May 28, 2025
Ax different sequel to Pride. and Prejudice
August 31, 2025
I enjoyed the end of the book as Caroline’s character development was very enjoyable to read. I do think parts were slow but the themes discussed in the book were very informative and important. I did think there was something fishy about Robert!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ what a fun and inclusive regency era read! Loved the colonial angle here! I hope this is a series.
April 14, 2025
A must-read for any Pride and Prejudice fans, this gives you all the feels.
July 13, 2025
Set in the world of the Bingley’s and the Darcy’s that everyone knows from Pride and Prejudice, the book revolves around Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy. When Georgiana’s maid Jayani goes missing and Georgiana races off to find her, Caroline Bingley takes it upon herself to find her young friend before anything bad happens to her. When she catches up with her and gets the full story of what has happened, she decides she must find Jayani no matter what.
When they finally find Jayani, she is with the body of her brother who has clearly been murdered. Caroline has to do quite a bit of talking to persuade the magistrate that Jayani could not possibly be responsible but despite his warning for her to leave things well alone she continues to dig.
Luckily for Caroline she has some loyal staff who will do anything she asks (and some things that she doesn’t) to assist in her quest to get to the truth whilst at the same time protecting her from danger. There are clear links to the East India Trading company but what they are is all a bit murky not helped by the mysterious man that is having Caroline followed and tries to warn her off her investigation. She also manages to upset the family of close friend Colonel Fitzwilliam which has her wondering just what they are trying to hide, especially when connections are found between them and Jayani’s brother. Like Caroline I thought I knew the how and the why but was a little off base when all was revealed.
Caroline Bingley is headstrong and clearly not used to anyone telling her no or worrying about what is considered fitting behaviour for a woman of her standing and I liked that about her. Georgiana however was a bit flighty and due to her sheltered upbringing clearly was not suited to following through on what she had set in motion, and it was something that was going to have far reaching repercussions for people they know. If you are an avid fan of Pride and Prejudice and are not keen on things being reimagined then this might not be the book for you, but if like me you like a good historical story that has the vibes of the writing of that time and brings to the fore previously bit players in the classic then I would recommend it as I think that Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar have done them justice.
When they finally find Jayani, she is with the body of her brother who has clearly been murdered. Caroline has to do quite a bit of talking to persuade the magistrate that Jayani could not possibly be responsible but despite his warning for her to leave things well alone she continues to dig.
Luckily for Caroline she has some loyal staff who will do anything she asks (and some things that she doesn’t) to assist in her quest to get to the truth whilst at the same time protecting her from danger. There are clear links to the East India Trading company but what they are is all a bit murky not helped by the mysterious man that is having Caroline followed and tries to warn her off her investigation. She also manages to upset the family of close friend Colonel Fitzwilliam which has her wondering just what they are trying to hide, especially when connections are found between them and Jayani’s brother. Like Caroline I thought I knew the how and the why but was a little off base when all was revealed.
Caroline Bingley is headstrong and clearly not used to anyone telling her no or worrying about what is considered fitting behaviour for a woman of her standing and I liked that about her. Georgiana however was a bit flighty and due to her sheltered upbringing clearly was not suited to following through on what she had set in motion, and it was something that was going to have far reaching repercussions for people they know. If you are an avid fan of Pride and Prejudice and are not keen on things being reimagined then this might not be the book for you, but if like me you like a good historical story that has the vibes of the writing of that time and brings to the fore previously bit players in the classic then I would recommend it as I think that Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar have done them justice.
July 25, 2025
This was a whip smart, socially aware, regency cozy mystery with familiar characters that suck you into the world with ease. Caroline was at times difficult to like but at her core her intentions were good
June 11, 2025
3,5 stars
This was a wonderful combination of entertaining and informative. Though at times I could not imagine this to be the same miss Bingley as Jane Austen envisioned her. There had been a distinct personality shift which occassionally felt a bit unrealistic.
This was a wonderful combination of entertaining and informative. Though at times I could not imagine this to be the same miss Bingley as Jane Austen envisioned her. There had been a distinct personality shift which occassionally felt a bit unrealistic.
April 6, 2025
Thank you to HQ Stories for providing me with a ARC of this book to read and review.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book because I love Pride and Prejudice and murder mysteries, and I had such a good time reading this. I loved the fact that all of the characters were identifiable from the outset (well for Pride and Prejudice fans anyway), but that we got to know Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy better.
This was a nice cosy read with fairly low stakes, but saying that, the murder mystery was intriguing and kept you guessing. Sometimes people assume that cosy means boring but that was not the case at all. I liked that we got to unravel the mystery along with Caroline and I was surprised at a couple of points.
Overall, I loved this pretty quick and fun read and will be recommending it to my followers.
I was intrigued by the premise of this book because I love Pride and Prejudice and murder mysteries, and I had such a good time reading this. I loved the fact that all of the characters were identifiable from the outset (well for Pride and Prejudice fans anyway), but that we got to know Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy better.
This was a nice cosy read with fairly low stakes, but saying that, the murder mystery was intriguing and kept you guessing. Sometimes people assume that cosy means boring but that was not the case at all. I liked that we got to unravel the mystery along with Caroline and I was surprised at a couple of points.
Overall, I loved this pretty quick and fun read and will be recommending it to my followers.
March 29, 2025
rated: 2.5 stars
this was kind of a stock standard regency detective novel that should have been comp'd as a poor mans miss fisher's murder mysteries. there was really nothing about caroline bingley that made her feel like caroline bingley. i think i would have liked this a lot better if it was an original character, because the p&p callbacks lowkey started to feel like a cash/reader grab at the end. the writing style also felt a bit like a poor mans imitation of jane austen, instead of attempting to do its own thing and really stand out.
even though she didn't stand out though, i do like that the authors attempted to rehabilitate what has traditionally been a mean girl in the austen world. caroline did have clear intellect and social understanding beyond expectations in the original p&p, and it was nice to see that shine more here. i do wish her growth in moving past the barriers imposed by social classes was a bit slower through - she jumped right into helping jayani which didn't really mesh with her original dislike of elizabeth bennett, which was based almost entirely on superficiality and a rigorous adherence to the immovable nature of social classes. the growth that was there however was interesting, and by the end of the book i did very much believe caroline's desire to continue investigating, working, and using her brain, if only because of a selfish nature that craved the satisfaction of a job well done.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
this was kind of a stock standard regency detective novel that should have been comp'd as a poor mans miss fisher's murder mysteries. there was really nothing about caroline bingley that made her feel like caroline bingley. i think i would have liked this a lot better if it was an original character, because the p&p callbacks lowkey started to feel like a cash/reader grab at the end. the writing style also felt a bit like a poor mans imitation of jane austen, instead of attempting to do its own thing and really stand out.
even though she didn't stand out though, i do like that the authors attempted to rehabilitate what has traditionally been a mean girl in the austen world. caroline did have clear intellect and social understanding beyond expectations in the original p&p, and it was nice to see that shine more here. i do wish her growth in moving past the barriers imposed by social classes was a bit slower through - she jumped right into helping jayani which didn't really mesh with her original dislike of elizabeth bennett, which was based almost entirely on superficiality and a rigorous adherence to the immovable nature of social classes. the growth that was there however was interesting, and by the end of the book i did very much believe caroline's desire to continue investigating, working, and using her brain, if only because of a selfish nature that craved the satisfaction of a job well done.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
June 9, 2025
(32/2025) 4/5🌟 Crime/Investigation (Fiction) | 360 pages
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙙𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 - 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮? 𝙉𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡.”
Move away, Miss Marple, because;
we have Miss Bingley.
Does the name ‘Caroline Bingley’ ring a bell?
True fans of English literature would be quickly reminded of this one particular ‘morally ambiguous(?)’ character that had made appearances alongside fan favourites, 𝘍𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘺 and 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘵 in the widely celebrated, “𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦”. Caroline Bingley might have had eyes for Mr Darcy particularly for her personal objectives in life - to be placed among the socialites and having prominent status in the society, but this time around, this “bète noire” might entertain us with the other faces of Caroline Bingley. Do expect some familiar names to make appearances as well!
To begin, the story certainly doesn’t centre around Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. It started off with Caroline Bingley spending her time with her brother, Charles (Mr Darcy’s bestfriend) and wife, Jane who was (unfortunately to Caroline 🥴) also another Bennett, at their country mansion in Derbyshire. Much to her discontentment that her brother’s bestfriend, Mr Darcy and the new Mrs Darcy were just a stone’s throw away in Pemberley. This time, Caroline had eyes for another Darcy. Georgiana, the youngest Darcy had become a close confidant to Caroline and they had spent some time together in the dreadful country, according to Caroline who was as much a city girl.
So, one night while having dinner on a stormy snowy night, imagine Caroline’s surprise upon receiving a distress message from Georgiana. Georgiana requested for Caroline to keep the information to herself that she was on her way to London on her own. Georgiana asked for Caroline to inform of her brother that she was going to stay with Caroline (to be frank I was slightly annoyed with this Georgiana character 🥴).
Caroline somehow knew that something was not right for Georgiana to suddenly and abruptly left the comfort of being with her brother and his family which promptly caused Caroline to return to London to search for Georgiana as she didn’t disclose her whereabout. After a frantic but successful search for Georgiana, Caroline finally got to know of what had caused Georgiana’s agony. Georgiana had thought that she might embark herself on the search of her missing maid whom she was fond of. As Caroline was fond of Georgiana as she was to her maid, Caroline went on to help Georgiana for the search and rescue in the hustle and bustle of London city. Little did Caroline realise that soon she would involve herself in a murder mystery involving Georgiana’s missing maid.
Would Caroline find herself solving the mystery cunningly, as cunning as her sharp tongue?
It has been quite some time that I read something that involves 1800s and murder investigation. The last times would be Stuart Turton’s “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦” as well as the involvement of a tv series, “𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘴”. So, it was a delight when this book fell into my hands. I even made the courtesy of googling for the images of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy from the 2005 movie version.
Caroline Bingley was an intelligent lady and a certified “makcik bawang” because I would, too, of course be snooping my nose around getting to know what was going on. There would be this unsatisfied feelings deep down in your heart if you do not get to the end of something especially when you get involved in too deep - that was how Caroline Bingley was. She was not someone who wanted to be related in such things especially in her status, but when she got involved in helping her dearest friend, she realised there was no point of return.
Caroline Bingley was a woman who knew what she wanted, independent, determined, high-spirited, sharp-tongued, witty, knowledgable and in a class of her own, and not to forget clever too. Asides from the aloofness, there were also the other sides of her hidden; she was loving, compassionate, understanding, kind and generous that were probably not portrayed before. I love how her relationship with her staff (housekeeper, maid, footmen wtc) was portrayed.
The story also heavily discussed the roles of women in the society during the 1800s, as they were deemed to be pitiful, timid, quiet and easily bullied which Caroline Bingley was totally a contrast to. Asides from the roles of women at that time, the story also subtlely scoffed on the social classes practices, white supremacists and slavery, as well as a little touch on history involving East India Company.
I enjoyed myself reading the book, and I could be biased because it is a genre I love. It’s like any other murder mystery, but it was in the 1800s and it has Caroline Bingley in it! There’s a hint of future cases by PD Caroline Bingley, but I guess, we would just have to wait and see!
The language was of course from those days, but easily understood despite some words which might require some visual interpretations but not that many. There were plot twists which we might easily catch if you get the right hints which certainly add more excitement to read further.
Read this if you love and perhaps miss “𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦”, and would love to see the other sides of Caroline Bingley. Thank you #timesreads for this review copy in exchange with honest personal opinion.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #2025reads #JuneReads #JuneTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #carolinebingley #misscarolinebingleyprivatedetective #MissBingleyPD #kellygardiner #sharminikumar
“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙙𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 - 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮? 𝙉𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡.”
Move away, Miss Marple, because;
we have Miss Bingley.
Does the name ‘Caroline Bingley’ ring a bell?
True fans of English literature would be quickly reminded of this one particular ‘morally ambiguous(?)’ character that had made appearances alongside fan favourites, 𝘍𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘺 and 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘵 in the widely celebrated, “𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦”. Caroline Bingley might have had eyes for Mr Darcy particularly for her personal objectives in life - to be placed among the socialites and having prominent status in the society, but this time around, this “bète noire” might entertain us with the other faces of Caroline Bingley. Do expect some familiar names to make appearances as well!
To begin, the story certainly doesn’t centre around Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. It started off with Caroline Bingley spending her time with her brother, Charles (Mr Darcy’s bestfriend) and wife, Jane who was (unfortunately to Caroline 🥴) also another Bennett, at their country mansion in Derbyshire. Much to her discontentment that her brother’s bestfriend, Mr Darcy and the new Mrs Darcy were just a stone’s throw away in Pemberley. This time, Caroline had eyes for another Darcy. Georgiana, the youngest Darcy had become a close confidant to Caroline and they had spent some time together in the dreadful country, according to Caroline who was as much a city girl.
So, one night while having dinner on a stormy snowy night, imagine Caroline’s surprise upon receiving a distress message from Georgiana. Georgiana requested for Caroline to keep the information to herself that she was on her way to London on her own. Georgiana asked for Caroline to inform of her brother that she was going to stay with Caroline (to be frank I was slightly annoyed with this Georgiana character 🥴).
Caroline somehow knew that something was not right for Georgiana to suddenly and abruptly left the comfort of being with her brother and his family which promptly caused Caroline to return to London to search for Georgiana as she didn’t disclose her whereabout. After a frantic but successful search for Georgiana, Caroline finally got to know of what had caused Georgiana’s agony. Georgiana had thought that she might embark herself on the search of her missing maid whom she was fond of. As Caroline was fond of Georgiana as she was to her maid, Caroline went on to help Georgiana for the search and rescue in the hustle and bustle of London city. Little did Caroline realise that soon she would involve herself in a murder mystery involving Georgiana’s missing maid.
Would Caroline find herself solving the mystery cunningly, as cunning as her sharp tongue?
It has been quite some time that I read something that involves 1800s and murder investigation. The last times would be Stuart Turton’s “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦” as well as the involvement of a tv series, “𝘌𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘴”. So, it was a delight when this book fell into my hands. I even made the courtesy of googling for the images of Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy from the 2005 movie version.
Caroline Bingley was an intelligent lady and a certified “makcik bawang” because I would, too, of course be snooping my nose around getting to know what was going on. There would be this unsatisfied feelings deep down in your heart if you do not get to the end of something especially when you get involved in too deep - that was how Caroline Bingley was. She was not someone who wanted to be related in such things especially in her status, but when she got involved in helping her dearest friend, she realised there was no point of return.
Caroline Bingley was a woman who knew what she wanted, independent, determined, high-spirited, sharp-tongued, witty, knowledgable and in a class of her own, and not to forget clever too. Asides from the aloofness, there were also the other sides of her hidden; she was loving, compassionate, understanding, kind and generous that were probably not portrayed before. I love how her relationship with her staff (housekeeper, maid, footmen wtc) was portrayed.
The story also heavily discussed the roles of women in the society during the 1800s, as they were deemed to be pitiful, timid, quiet and easily bullied which Caroline Bingley was totally a contrast to. Asides from the roles of women at that time, the story also subtlely scoffed on the social classes practices, white supremacists and slavery, as well as a little touch on history involving East India Company.
I enjoyed myself reading the book, and I could be biased because it is a genre I love. It’s like any other murder mystery, but it was in the 1800s and it has Caroline Bingley in it! There’s a hint of future cases by PD Caroline Bingley, but I guess, we would just have to wait and see!
The language was of course from those days, but easily understood despite some words which might require some visual interpretations but not that many. There were plot twists which we might easily catch if you get the right hints which certainly add more excitement to read further.
Read this if you love and perhaps miss “𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦”, and would love to see the other sides of Caroline Bingley. Thank you #timesreads for this review copy in exchange with honest personal opinion.
#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #2025reads #JuneReads #JuneTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #carolinebingley #misscarolinebingleyprivatedetective #MissBingleyPD #kellygardiner #sharminikumar
September 4, 2025
For someone who has never read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, diving into the world of its characters through the work of other authors proved to be a unique and surprising experience. It was not only an introduction to the classic story’s universe but also a compelling enough adventure to make one want to become more familiar with the original novel and its world.
In Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar’s Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator, a familiar literary character is placed into a new kind of story, creating a narrative that feels both respectful of the original and different. This book takes Caroline Bingley, a character many readers know from Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice, and transforms her from a society figure into a detective. The story is told with a great deal of care, turning the old-fashioned rooms and country homes into a world full of hidden things. The clever plot has a lot of clues and fake leads that pull the reader into the mystery.
A key part of the story is the evolution of the main character, from her Pride and Prejudice ways to her private investigator persona. The book frees Caroline Bingley from the limited expectations of her old life, a world where a woman was expected to simply marry well and manage a household, without any profession or purpose outside of her social circle. Without these societal rules, she becomes a very smart and deep person. She was a person of limited value in the original story. The book, however, gives her a new purpose as a private investigator, allowing her to be more clever, resourceful, and complex than she ever could have been in her original world.
This newfound freedom for Miss Bingley is not a reality for all the women in this expanded world. The story realistically shows that other female characters from Austen’s novels did not fare as well. They are still seen as being under the control of the men in their lives — be it a father, brother, or uncle. We see that, with the exception of Miss Bingley, the fate and fortunes of these women are still largely decided by the men who oversee their finances and decisions. This contrast highlights just how unique Caroline’s position truly is.
The first case for Miss Bingley unfolds when a desperate letter from Georgiana Darcy arrives, setting in motion a search for her missing ladies’ maid, Jade, who has run off to find her brother. Caroline’s investigation leads to a tragic discovery: the brother is dead, with Jade found holding him. The novel unflinchingly confronts the societal prejudices of the era, where London’s legal system, lacking empathy for those of a different race, class, and culture- moves to charge the young Indian girl with murder. It is here that Caroline’s new role truly shines, as she uses her privileged position (albeit secretly), along with just plain wit- to stand for what is just. While her initial efforts secure Jade’s freedom, the mystery of the brother’s death lingers, compelling Caroline to continue the investigation and uncover the truth of who killed the young man and why.
To solve this mystery, Caroline must navigate a treacherous path. She confronts unscrupulous footmen, a loud-mouthed and dishonest boarding house matron, and unwilling magistrates who believe detecting is not a woman’s place. The case introduces her to a complex world of Indian dockhands, unique patterned livery, and the secretive men of the East India Company. She also discovers that some people close to her may know more than they are willing to share. The story reveals that wealthy families often harbor more secrets than they appear to, but Caroline’s determination ensures that they will all be brought to light.
Her cleverness, which was once looked down on, is now a helpful tool for solving mysteries. The change seems real and makes sense, a natural step for a character whose dreams were held back by the expectations of her time. Her meetings with other familiar characters, who now have different roles, create an interesting and lively look at their new world. The story doesn’t just repeat old ideas; instead, it uses them as a base for a new and powerful story about freedom, who we are, and finding the truth.
The writing keeps a steady and engaging rhythm, much like the careful investigation at its center. The language is elegant but clear, guiding the reader through each discovery with a sense of purpose. The book shows how versatile characters can be and how much we still enjoy a good mystery. Reading it feels like a constant discovery, as each chapter reveals a new clue and a deeper layer of a world that feels both new and familiar. It is a work that honors its past while creating a unique and memorable path of its own.
I am so excited to read the next in this new series!
Happy Reading!
In Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar’s Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator, a familiar literary character is placed into a new kind of story, creating a narrative that feels both respectful of the original and different. This book takes Caroline Bingley, a character many readers know from Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice, and transforms her from a society figure into a detective. The story is told with a great deal of care, turning the old-fashioned rooms and country homes into a world full of hidden things. The clever plot has a lot of clues and fake leads that pull the reader into the mystery.
A key part of the story is the evolution of the main character, from her Pride and Prejudice ways to her private investigator persona. The book frees Caroline Bingley from the limited expectations of her old life, a world where a woman was expected to simply marry well and manage a household, without any profession or purpose outside of her social circle. Without these societal rules, she becomes a very smart and deep person. She was a person of limited value in the original story. The book, however, gives her a new purpose as a private investigator, allowing her to be more clever, resourceful, and complex than she ever could have been in her original world.
This newfound freedom for Miss Bingley is not a reality for all the women in this expanded world. The story realistically shows that other female characters from Austen’s novels did not fare as well. They are still seen as being under the control of the men in their lives — be it a father, brother, or uncle. We see that, with the exception of Miss Bingley, the fate and fortunes of these women are still largely decided by the men who oversee their finances and decisions. This contrast highlights just how unique Caroline’s position truly is.
The first case for Miss Bingley unfolds when a desperate letter from Georgiana Darcy arrives, setting in motion a search for her missing ladies’ maid, Jade, who has run off to find her brother. Caroline’s investigation leads to a tragic discovery: the brother is dead, with Jade found holding him. The novel unflinchingly confronts the societal prejudices of the era, where London’s legal system, lacking empathy for those of a different race, class, and culture- moves to charge the young Indian girl with murder. It is here that Caroline’s new role truly shines, as she uses her privileged position (albeit secretly), along with just plain wit- to stand for what is just. While her initial efforts secure Jade’s freedom, the mystery of the brother’s death lingers, compelling Caroline to continue the investigation and uncover the truth of who killed the young man and why.
To solve this mystery, Caroline must navigate a treacherous path. She confronts unscrupulous footmen, a loud-mouthed and dishonest boarding house matron, and unwilling magistrates who believe detecting is not a woman’s place. The case introduces her to a complex world of Indian dockhands, unique patterned livery, and the secretive men of the East India Company. She also discovers that some people close to her may know more than they are willing to share. The story reveals that wealthy families often harbor more secrets than they appear to, but Caroline’s determination ensures that they will all be brought to light.
Her cleverness, which was once looked down on, is now a helpful tool for solving mysteries. The change seems real and makes sense, a natural step for a character whose dreams were held back by the expectations of her time. Her meetings with other familiar characters, who now have different roles, create an interesting and lively look at their new world. The story doesn’t just repeat old ideas; instead, it uses them as a base for a new and powerful story about freedom, who we are, and finding the truth.
The writing keeps a steady and engaging rhythm, much like the careful investigation at its center. The language is elegant but clear, guiding the reader through each discovery with a sense of purpose. The book shows how versatile characters can be and how much we still enjoy a good mystery. Reading it feels like a constant discovery, as each chapter reveals a new clue and a deeper layer of a world that feels both new and familiar. It is a work that honors its past while creating a unique and memorable path of its own.
I am so excited to read the next in this new series!
Happy Reading!
July 5, 2025
Miss Caroline Bingley, whilst visiting her brother Charles and new wife Jane (formerly Bennet – yes, those Bennets) discovers that her friend, Georgiana Darcy, has left for London without her family’s knowledge. Ms Darcy is in pursuit of her maid, Jade, who has left her service without explanation. Caroline, covering for friend’s impulsivity, follows her to London to assist in the search, and in turn solve the murder of the maid’s brother.
The story follows the ladies’ adventures as they traipse through the less reputable quarters of London, consult with unsavoury and untrustworthy citizens, and get a swift education in the impact of British colonialism on citizens of India (and other nations).
But rest assured, the story is not all murders, dirty work and bad actors. There is a wonderful element of romance, matchmaking, upstairs-downstairs interactions, clothes shopping, afternoon teas, and even a pre-season winter ball.
Set in Regency England, the tale moves from the winter countryside, with its bitter cold and beautiful snowscapes, to a dreary and dirty London. The descriptions of Miss Bingley’s delightful Mayfair abode are brilliantly juxtaposed with the Dickensian East-End life. The similar, descriptive treatment of the lives of the upper-class merchants, servants, and working poor provide no doubt as to the significant differences in living standards.
Miss Bingley is a thoroughly agreeable, if slightly flawed, character. She is precise, proper and fastidious to a fault, the very characteristics essential in a good investigator. She is clearly a woman who does not suffer fools and at times struggles to find patience with those less measured. In contrast, Miss Darcy is charming, impulsive, empathetic and somewhat naïve. It is her kind-heart and concern for others which lands the ladies in the centre of the investigation.
Other characters are a delightful mix of upper-class toffs, loyal and observant servants, hard-working Indian immigrants, colourful local identities and assorted shady characters. Each offers that special something to the mystery and adds depth to the story.
It is clear that significant research has gone into the writing of this book. Not only is Regency England and British imperial activities described with pinpoint accuracy, the many small details, such as references to various literary figures, the Napoleonic war, Ratcliffe Highway murders and the Cheapside markets add to the flavour and feel of the story.
The plot builds smoothly, with several twists and turns, and engaging Austen-style romance and relationships.
The prose is precise with an air of magic, exactly as you imagine Miss Bingley would sound. A perfect example of the many coy quips littered throughout is as follows:
Mr Pickersgill leaned forward and twitched his head to one side, looking for all the world like a fox. Possibly flea-bitten.
You are kept on your toes right up until the end. The chapters are just the right length, making the book easy to read and hard to put down.
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is what I hope is the first instalment of a series. This is such wonderful, informative and most of all fun read for anyone looking for an entertaining book to curl up with on the sofa (with chocolates and maybe a wine or two).
The story follows the ladies’ adventures as they traipse through the less reputable quarters of London, consult with unsavoury and untrustworthy citizens, and get a swift education in the impact of British colonialism on citizens of India (and other nations).
But rest assured, the story is not all murders, dirty work and bad actors. There is a wonderful element of romance, matchmaking, upstairs-downstairs interactions, clothes shopping, afternoon teas, and even a pre-season winter ball.
Set in Regency England, the tale moves from the winter countryside, with its bitter cold and beautiful snowscapes, to a dreary and dirty London. The descriptions of Miss Bingley’s delightful Mayfair abode are brilliantly juxtaposed with the Dickensian East-End life. The similar, descriptive treatment of the lives of the upper-class merchants, servants, and working poor provide no doubt as to the significant differences in living standards.
Miss Bingley is a thoroughly agreeable, if slightly flawed, character. She is precise, proper and fastidious to a fault, the very characteristics essential in a good investigator. She is clearly a woman who does not suffer fools and at times struggles to find patience with those less measured. In contrast, Miss Darcy is charming, impulsive, empathetic and somewhat naïve. It is her kind-heart and concern for others which lands the ladies in the centre of the investigation.
Other characters are a delightful mix of upper-class toffs, loyal and observant servants, hard-working Indian immigrants, colourful local identities and assorted shady characters. Each offers that special something to the mystery and adds depth to the story.
It is clear that significant research has gone into the writing of this book. Not only is Regency England and British imperial activities described with pinpoint accuracy, the many small details, such as references to various literary figures, the Napoleonic war, Ratcliffe Highway murders and the Cheapside markets add to the flavour and feel of the story.
The plot builds smoothly, with several twists and turns, and engaging Austen-style romance and relationships.
The prose is precise with an air of magic, exactly as you imagine Miss Bingley would sound. A perfect example of the many coy quips littered throughout is as follows:
Mr Pickersgill leaned forward and twitched his head to one side, looking for all the world like a fox. Possibly flea-bitten.
You are kept on your toes right up until the end. The chapters are just the right length, making the book easy to read and hard to put down.
Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective is what I hope is the first instalment of a series. This is such wonderful, informative and most of all fun read for anyone looking for an entertaining book to curl up with on the sofa (with chocolates and maybe a wine or two).
August 30, 2025
Familiar side characters from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" populate this first installment in a cozy mystery series perfect for the innumerable Austen fans looking for a way to continue revisiting regency London with the likes of the Bingley's and the Darcy's. Caroline Bingley has befriended Georgiana Darcy, and when Georgiana goes tearing off to London in pursuit of a missing maid, Caroline feels duty-bound to follow. She soon finds herself not only investigating the disappearance but also caught up in a murder and learning more than she ever wanted to know about the people and culture of those from lower classes and less affluent parts of the city. With determination and grit, plus the help of her loyal servant, she will go where most high society ladies would never be seen, and she will learn things about her city and herself that may just change her life forever.
This was a fun, cozy mystery that was easy to read and felt very familiar given it's setting and it's characters. I don't know how well it would have worked if it had featured some of the main characters from "Pride and Prejudice" that have been thoroughly explored in other works, but the author's smart choice in choosing characters that were not as central to the original book was both wise and clever. My expectations of how these characters should think and act is not so firmly established, and there is plenty of room to build their arcs within this series. I love the tenacity shown by Caroline Bingley and am looking forward to seeing what other adventures she will have as this series continued. I have to admit to being annoyed with Georgiana's character, but I do think that her youth played a part and that the author did a good job of adhering to what we know of her from Jane Austen's writing. I do hope she is either less involved or grows up throughout the series though.
The mystery here was well done. It had multiple layers and was complex enough to keep my interest. I also enjoyed learning some about the Indian population living in England during this time period and examining the views that different people had of them. It's something that I want to research and learn more about after reading this.
Bottom line: I would recommend this book to Austen fans. I would also recommend it to cozy mystery lovers or to those who appreciate their mysteries laced with a bit of history as well. This is a promising start to a series, and I look forward to the next installment.
This was a fun, cozy mystery that was easy to read and felt very familiar given it's setting and it's characters. I don't know how well it would have worked if it had featured some of the main characters from "Pride and Prejudice" that have been thoroughly explored in other works, but the author's smart choice in choosing characters that were not as central to the original book was both wise and clever. My expectations of how these characters should think and act is not so firmly established, and there is plenty of room to build their arcs within this series. I love the tenacity shown by Caroline Bingley and am looking forward to seeing what other adventures she will have as this series continued. I have to admit to being annoyed with Georgiana's character, but I do think that her youth played a part and that the author did a good job of adhering to what we know of her from Jane Austen's writing. I do hope she is either less involved or grows up throughout the series though.
The mystery here was well done. It had multiple layers and was complex enough to keep my interest. I also enjoyed learning some about the Indian population living in England during this time period and examining the views that different people had of them. It's something that I want to research and learn more about after reading this.
Bottom line: I would recommend this book to Austen fans. I would also recommend it to cozy mystery lovers or to those who appreciate their mysteries laced with a bit of history as well. This is a promising start to a series, and I look forward to the next installment.
April 16, 2025
This book follows on from the shenanigans in Pride of Prejudice, set a couple years later and mainly features Miss Caroline Bingley and Georgiana Darcy, two of the more minor characters in the Austen book.
It transpires that Georgiana has used Caroline as cover for her leaving her home in search of her missing maid Jade. She sends a letter to Caroline so she can vouch for her but Caroline fears for Georgiana, on her own in London, so she also ups and travels to her London home, tracks down Georgiana, and the two of them set off to find Jade together. Truth be told, Caroline is a bit bored these days. Anyway, the two of them travel through the less elegant areas, into some places that ladies really shouldn't be frequenting, let alone solo, all the time following the clues which they hope will lead them to Jade... Little do they imagine what they will find...
I did enjoy this book. I have always had a soft spot for P&P, I especially love the fan fiction and spoofs that have also sprung up - the play P&P (sort of) being a wonderful recent addition to that list, so I was always going into this with a total open mind. And it actually exceeded my expectations, going grittier than I thought it would too. I do love it when a woman of a certain time surpasses expectations!
I felt the authors did the characters justice too. Mostly in keeping with what I recall from the original book - and I do have to scrape off a few layers to get back to that original source material! And although it was kinda hard boiled with some of the topics contained herein, it wasn't too glorified or graphic. It was also quite historical in nature - especially re the East India Company, so I also learned a bit along the way. Always good!
If I have one niggle it was that the mystery was a little overshadowed and occasionally felt like it was taking a back seat. But this is often indicative of a book being a series opener, which I do hope it is. I'll be keeping an eye open for a sequel. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
It transpires that Georgiana has used Caroline as cover for her leaving her home in search of her missing maid Jade. She sends a letter to Caroline so she can vouch for her but Caroline fears for Georgiana, on her own in London, so she also ups and travels to her London home, tracks down Georgiana, and the two of them set off to find Jade together. Truth be told, Caroline is a bit bored these days. Anyway, the two of them travel through the less elegant areas, into some places that ladies really shouldn't be frequenting, let alone solo, all the time following the clues which they hope will lead them to Jade... Little do they imagine what they will find...
I did enjoy this book. I have always had a soft spot for P&P, I especially love the fan fiction and spoofs that have also sprung up - the play P&P (sort of) being a wonderful recent addition to that list, so I was always going into this with a total open mind. And it actually exceeded my expectations, going grittier than I thought it would too. I do love it when a woman of a certain time surpasses expectations!
I felt the authors did the characters justice too. Mostly in keeping with what I recall from the original book - and I do have to scrape off a few layers to get back to that original source material! And although it was kinda hard boiled with some of the topics contained herein, it wasn't too glorified or graphic. It was also quite historical in nature - especially re the East India Company, so I also learned a bit along the way. Always good!
If I have one niggle it was that the mystery was a little overshadowed and occasionally felt like it was taking a back seat. But this is often indicative of a book being a series opener, which I do hope it is. I'll be keeping an eye open for a sequel. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
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